Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-06-22
NLlFE WORTH LIVING
n oosaRFsssAN ANSWERS THE CUES.
TIoN AT RICHMOND COLLEGE.
Aooress Before the Literary Societies by
Hon W. L. Wilson, Of West
Virginia.

NUMBER OF visitors, old students, MEM
oVis OF The Board OF Trustees, and friends
:" ohe Riehinond College generally had ar
tNed from distance yesterday. Richmond
turned out In fun force, and n brilliant
audience assembled last night to greet the
CHOSEN orator Of the two literary societies
OF the college.
| PROGRAMME.
The following was the programme Of the
evening:
Prayer by Rev. DR.. A. E. Owen, Of virginia.
Munic. Introductory, Hen. II. X. Pollard, OF
nngihia. Address. Hon. w. l.. Wilson, OF West
virginia. Music. Presentation OF medals. Hon
.; \. Dunlop, Of Virginia. medallists-Mu
| sigma hho: =. l.. Kelley, Of Virginia, best do
batter; ". A. Coles, OF Virginia. Improvement
| ihilologian: II. w. Jones. Of Virginia. best
| uehateri ID. II. Rucker, Of Virginia improve
menr Joint Writer'S Medal, W. C. Tyree. Of
virginia. Music. Closing remarks Music.
| THE ORATORS.
The societies had been exceedingly for.
| tunate IN securing as their president Hon. II.
X. Pollard, OF King and Queen county. Va,
as Their orator Hon. w. l.. Wilson, OF West
virginia, and as the presenter OF the medlls
Hon. Jamos n. Dunlop, of RichmOndt
MT. Pollard made q brief but exceedingly
| graceful introductory speech welcoming
| Tue audience. and introduced Hon. w. l.,
Wilson, OF West Virginia, who was re-
| ceived with loud applause. and proceeded
In very graceful style 10 deliver his timely
| address.
Mr.. Wilson's Address.
Mr.. Wilson began by saying that perhaps
| The most comprehensive statement OF the
| object OF education is 10 enable every man
| Tor himself 10 answer ahirmatIvely the mo-
| mcntOus question. "ls lie worth livinry"
| II i still the lot Of many in the foremost
nations OF the earth tO be born to destiny
| OF poverty, Ignorance, and social InferiOrI-
| " from which few avenues OF escape are
| open 10 courage. effort, or sacrifice: but for
| the young man born into the citizenship Of
| this country this question Is half answered
| IN advance. IL is difficult TO imagine any
| pressure OF circumstances 50 great that
TesOluie effort cannot break through and
secure sn education in the school and col
lege sense OF the word, and the strength
| born Of such effort, and the favor OF fellow
| men won by IL give some advantage in any
| career. Napoleon I, defined the Frenc1
revolution - Ia CarTierc O1tUerfe uUI tui.
| entS-a free field for merit. NaDoleon's
| dream is our realization. To what do we
| owe this happy environment, and how shall
We transmit il unlmpaired? We are apt TO
| tuition as Newtons, who discovered the law
OF political ersvitatioD, and, having started
our Government IN exact obedience to that
law, l. will from its original momentum
move forever along the highway OF pro.
gresS and prosperity, no matter how we
may abuse or trifle with the rights aud du-
| ties OF citizenship. But this is not the
teaching of history. That only authorta.
tive teacher shows that hitherto popular
government baS been Of all kinds the
least durable and the least able to thrust Its
roots permanently into any soil. After
Illustrating this by references TO modern
history, be asked: How Is it that the
United States have 30 splendidly redeemed
the III name OF popular institutions, and
actually turned the tide Of the world
in the direction OF democracy? As
some Of the causes he enumerated
the unequalled arena on which the
experiment has thus far been tried
in new continent where political
communities are born every day, and real
equality OF opportunity has gone hand in
band with theoretical equality OF right
the continuity OF our political history,
Which, as Mr.. Bancroft says, was not re-
volt against the past, but healthy and per-
,istent progress.
OUR STRENGTH.
Our institutions do not begin with the
Declaration OF Independence or the Fede-
raj Constitution, but run back through
English even into German history, and
also the adoption Of written constitutions
perieetlng the representative system, dis.
tibutng sovereignty between central |
and many local governments, and dividing |
the powers of the State into three co0rli- |
nate branches, and erecting barriers at |
every point where experience or foresight |
suggested the violation OF the rights of |
individuals or mmOrties. These cOnstitu- |
tional barriers form no impediment TO any /
steady and persistent current OF public opIn-
ion, but they resist those temporary gusts |
that have laid 80 many other States in ruin. /
But allowing all that may he claimed Tor the |
influence OF long transmitted institutions |
and Of written constitutions there must al |
Ways remain an immense field for the free |
play Of popular will where all will depend |
on whether there is back of IL a spirit OF |
Justice. Seli.denial, and intelligence among |
The people. lie showed that the chief dam
ger 10 popular government with us arose |
from the perverted or excessive activity OF |
the legislative branch, and that success or |
disastsr depended on the issue whether we |
are TO seek individual or national greatness |
more by private energy or by public legiS.
of unlimited government since the people |
are recognized as the fountain OF govern
ment. If suffer the wrongs OF tyranny
What difference ii the tyrant be one or
many? The growth Of freedom il it means
ANYTHING glorious and valuable, means not
oniv recognition Of the sovereignty
of the people, but an immense cur
tailmtnt OF all sovereignty, a per-
mapent invasion OF the domain OF
government, and ITS chastIsement into
the narroWest limits consistent with
the vigorous existence Of the State rs the
upholder Of the just rights of all its citizens
and the repository OF national life Hence
ereat legislative activity is not always the
friuw phal march of free government, but
mOyemen. in a circle that sooner or later
will bring us around again TO the very
dangers from which We imagine ourselves
to be travelling away. This tendency Is
aggravated by great parties bidding Tor
popular support.
PARTY PLATFORMS.
The platform Of our parties show not
only the steady currents OF public opinion,
but the local or temporary gales that soon
spend themselves. This was illustrated by |
the haste Of parties to take position on the
Chinese Immigration, the grange, and labor
auC stions when votes were to be gained by
it-Cleon and the ssusage-dealer bidding
for the support Of the people. In the heat
of great party collisions every germ
snd spore Of demagogism floating in
our alr is quickened into life,
even though but momentaTy and eyanes-
cent. The effort OF parties to fulfil their
promises deluges Congress with ten thou-
sand bills; as many in single Congress
now as in the first twenty-five or thirty
congresses OF our history, when the field
Of legislation was new.
GREAT ISSUES.
No wonder the idea is growing that the
State owes every man living, and that IN